Massaging apparatus

ABSTRACT

A massaging device having a casing with a motor mounted therein, and reduction gears driving a shaft having massaging elements extending through an opening in the casing.

United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,802,423 Pfaendler Apr. 9, 1974 1 MASSAGING APPARATUS [56] References Cited [75] Inventor: Jorg Pfaendler, Olten, Switzerland UNITED STATES PATENTS [73] I Assignee: Spemot AG. Dulliken, Canton f 2,306,424 12/1942 Betz 128/56 UX sblothurn Switzerland 1.709.170 4/1929 Hassler 1 128/56 UX 2.663.293 12/1953 Elliott 128/56 [22] Filed: Feb. 28, 1973 v [211 Appl No: 90 Primary E.\'aminerLawrence W. Trapp v Attorney, Agent, or FirmMichael S. Striker [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 1, 1972 Switzerland 2952/72 [57] ABSTRACT A massaging device having a casing with a motor [52] US. Cl. 128/55, 128/56 mounted therein, and reduction gears driving a shaft [51] Int. Cl A61h 23/00 having massaging elements extending through an [58] Field of Search 128/54-57, opening in the casing.

I 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures MASSAGING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a massaging apparatus comprising a casing and pivoted therein an electromotor and a rotatable massaging member driven by the electromotor through the intermediary of a reduction gear, the massaging member having at least one working surface which during rotation of the member projects intermittently beyond a recess of the casing for excercising the massaging action.

Preferably, the massaging member is a plate-like wing of generally rectangular shape which is rotatable about its longitudinal axis of symmetry and the edges of which between the two flat wing sides are well rounded off so as to form the working surfaces of the member. The massaging effect arises with the rotating wing by the consecutive strokes of these working surfaces upon the place of the human body to be treated and the intensity of the strokes depends on the circumferential speed of the working edges or surfaces, that means it depends on the rotational speed of the wing and on the radial space of its working surfaces from the axis of rotation. This radial space is substancially decisive for the rate of the wing portion which is adapted to project beyond the recess of the apparatus casing, since the remaining space portion is necessary to allow the accommodation of the pivot bearings for the wing in the casing. On the other hand, the rate of projection is limited to that the force of the wing stroke must be supportable by the user of the massaging apparatus.

Due to these circumstances, the problem has arisen to which extent a reduction gear must reduce the rate of rotation between the electromotor and the wing and how such reduction gear can be established between the shafts of the electromotor and of the wing within the given limits of the casing.

SUMMARY According to the invention in the massaging apparatus as set forth above, the reduction gear between the electromotor and the massaging member comprises two stages, including an intermediate shaft which is parallel to the shafts of the motor and of the member, and is disposed outside the plane comprising the axes of the two other shafts. The second stage of the gear is constituted by a toothed endless belt and-two unequal gear wheels, the smaller of which being mounted on the intermediate shaft and the bigger wheel mounted on the shaft of the massaging member within the casing and adjacent to the wall thereof which defines the outer edge of an outer casing recess accomodating the member, the radius of the bigger gear wheel being therefore smaller than the minimum radius of the portion of the member which projects intermittently beyond the recess of the casing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A preferred embodiment of a massaging apparatus 4 according to the invention will now be described in de- FIG. 2 shows a vertical cross section to FIG. 1, and- FIG. 3 shows a horizontal section to FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION Of THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The elongated casing of the massaging apparatus consists of two shells l and 2, preferably made of synthetic resin which are joined together along a plane line of separation and form a lug-like handle 3 at each longitudinal end of the casing. An electric collector motor 4 having its shaft 5 in the longitudinal direction of the casing is mounted therein, while in an outer recess 6 of the casing there is disposed a massaging wing 8 on a shaft 7 which at both ends is pivoted in the casing parallelly to the motor shaft 5. The plate-like wing 8 has a generally rectangular shape, the longitudinal edges thereof being parallel to the shaft 7 and constitute each a working surface 9 for executing the massaging stroke, in which position such edge projects sufficiently beyond the outer edge 18 of the recess 6. The longitudinal edge portions of the wing 8 may be made somewhat radially flexible by the provision of a perforation 19 in each half of the wing, extending axially. A reduction gear connects the shaft 5 with shaft 7 in two gear stages.

The first stage comprises a pinion 10 on the one end of the motor shaft 5, which mates with a gear wheel 11 mounted on an intermediate shaft 12 and produces a gear ratio of approximately 10 1. The shaft 12 is located outside the plane containing the'axes of the two shafts 5 and 7 and extends parallelly to the latters. The second gear stage comprises two gear wheels 13 and 14 of unequal diameter, the smaller gear wheel 13 being mounted on theintermediate shaft 12 and the bigger gear wheel 14 being mounted on the working shaft 7 in the casing. These gear wheels are rotatable connected to each other by a toothed endless belt 15 and produce a reduction ratio of approximately 1.5 1. Due to the described formation of the reduction gear, the radius of the bigger gear wheel 14 can be made smaller than the minimum radius of the wing portion which projects beyond the-outer recess edge formed by the wall portion 18 of the casing which encloses the gear on its lower side in FIG. 1. Thereby the radius of the working surfaces 9 of the wing 8 can be thus dimensioned that in connection with the rotational speed, reduced by the gear, the massaging strokes of the working surfaces will be well supportable.

The provision of the toothed belt 15 in the gear is also advantageous in so far' that it attenuates the rotational shocks caused by the massaging strokes of the wing when being in use, so that the toothing of the first gear stage is spared.

For cooling the motor 4 a fan wheel 16 is mounted on the motor shaft 5 for producing an air current from the inlet openings'20 to the outlet openings 17 of the casing, wherby the outlet openings are preferably located in the casing wall forming the inner limit of the recess 6, thus the leaving warm air warming up the wing 8.

Instead of lug-like handles there could be provided on each end of the casing a tap-like handle projecting therefrom parallelly to the shafts 5 and 7.

What I claim is:

l. A massaging apparatus comprising a casing having therein an electromotor and a reduction gear and in an outer recess of said casing a rotatable massaging member driven by said reduction gear, said massaging memher having at least one working surface which during its rotation projects intermittently beyond said casing recess for exercising the massaging action, said reduction gear having two gear stages including an intermediate shaft which is parallel to the two shafts of said motor and said member and which is disposed outside the plane containing the axes of said two shafts, the second gear stage being constituted by a toothed endless belt and two gear wheels of unequal diameter, the smaller gear wheel being mounted on said intermediate shaft and the bigger gear wheel being mounted on the shaft of said member within said casing and adjacent to the casing wall which defines the outer edge of said recess, the radius of said bigger gear wheel being therefore smaller that the minimum radius of the portion of said member which projects beyond said casing recess.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said casing is provided at opposite ends with a handle projecting therefrom in a plane which contains the axes of said motor shaft and member shaft or is parallel thereto.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claims 1 and 2, wherein said handle has the shape of a lug or a tap.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said casing is constituted by two shells joined together along a separation line lying in a plane which is parallel to the plane containing the axes of said motor shaft and member shaft.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a fan driven by said motor is provided in said casing between air inlet apertures and air outlet apertures located in the casing wall for producing a cooling air current along said motor, said outlet apertures being located in a wall portion which defines said casing recess.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reduction gear ratio of the first stage of said reduction gear is substantially l0 l and that of said second gear stage is substantially 1.5 1. 

1. A massaging apparatus comprising a casing having therein an electromotor and a reduction gear and in an outer recess of said casing a rotatable massaging member driven by said reduction gear, said massaging member having at least one working surface which during its rotation projects intermittently beyond said casing recess for exercising the massaging action, said reduction gear having two gear stages including an intermediate shaft which is parallel to the two shafts of said motor and said member and which is disposed outside the plane containing the axes of said two shafts, the second gear stage being constituted by a toothed endless belt and two gear wheels of unequal diameter, the smaller gear wheel being mounted on said intermediate shaft and the bigger gear wheel being mounted on the shaft of said member within said casing and adjacent to the casing wall which defines the outer edge of said recess, the radius of said bigger gear wheel being therefore smaller that the minimum radius of the portion of said member which projects beyond said casing recess.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said casing is provided at opposite ends with a Handle projecting therefrom in a plane which contains the axes of said motor shaft and member shaft or is parallel thereto.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claims 1 and 2, wherein said handle has the shape of a lug or a tap.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said casing is constituted by two shells joined together along a separation line lying in a plane which is parallel to the plane containing the axes of said motor shaft and member shaft.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a fan driven by said motor is provided in said casing between air inlet apertures and air outlet apertures located in the casing wall for producing a cooling air current along said motor, said outlet apertures being located in a wall portion which defines said casing recess.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reduction gear ratio of the first stage of said reduction gear is substantially 10:1 and that of said second gear stage is substantially 1.5:1. 